How-to Stop Skype starting automatically

Ever since Microsoft took over Skype, it installs automatically with Internet Explorer, starts itself at boot time and is impossible to stop from the Skype client as there is no longer an option in the settings to do so. Nor does it sit in your Start Up Programmes folder. In fact, alongside the in-stream advertising and the removal of the log of calls made, duration, destination and cost, Skype now behaves like the worst kind of malware.

Unfortunately the Malicious Software Removal Tool won’t get rid of it. And it is occasionally useful for messaging and video conferencing. I just don’t want it hogging resources all the bloody time. Note to Microsoft; don’t annoy us Northerners. You wouldn’t like us when we’re angry.

So if you don’t want Skype running all the time, how do you prevent it starting up as part of the computer’s booting up process?

Since the latest version of the Skype application has no option provided to turn off Skype at Windows startup you need a different route.

Click the start menu and either using Search programs and files, “msconfig” or just type “msconfig.exe” directly. You can still use the Run command window to open msconfig.exe. MSConfig is the Windows system configuration tool.

Click and open “msconfig.exe”, and you will get “System Configuration” dialog Window.

Select the Startup tab, and you will get the list of Windows start up applications. You may need to sort by name (click on the column heading) in order to find it. Un-check “Skype” from that list and click Apply and then OK button.

Then you will get restart confirmation message for System Configuration Restart, asking to re-boot now or later for your changes to take effect.

After your machine restarted, you will not get Skype at windows startup. Be aware that MS-Config is a powerful tool that can easily land you a whole lot of trouble if you start randomly messing with settings, so the advice is don’t, unless you know what you’re doing. AJS

Actually that New preference doesn’t work. It still auto-launches with Windows. And now it doesn’t even show in the msconfig menu startup tab. Sooooo Skype is no longer on my machine until I need it, and gets uninstalled after I use it.

Herd Grrl is right. It ignores the deselection in Skype, and isn’t in msconfig, I can’t believe the gall! (well, yes, I guess I can, but it leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth…) Why do companies have such arrogance? Google is just as bad.

Well, on Windows 10 I don’t have it set in startup. Every time it updates, probably, it starts. It happens by night, by day, whenever it wants. It is extremely annoying and I hate this so much. If I wouldn’t need it, I would uninstall it. I feel like I’m Microsoft’s fool.

You don’t have to log in. Go to settings icon, Tools, Personal tab, uncheck startup options.
I agree it’s not in the msconfig list, nor can I delete the program (not in the control panel list).
Fingers crossed!

I just disabled it in Task Manager – I clicked on the Startup tab and scrolled till I saw Skype and it said enabled, so I disabled it. It didn’t start up when I rebooted. I think Mike is saying that when Windows 10 updates “whenever it wants” which I think is daily or every few days (?) the new update will override my having disabled it and then I’d have to go and do it again – which would be a pain. But I won’t know until it happens I guess. I’ll try to remember to let you know – but the main thing I’m commenting for is to tell you I got the idea from here, but rather than run the msconfig.exe and do it there, being a once-experienced computer user who got in too much trouble up till a decade or so ago when I decided to quit thinking I knew what I was doing, I tried to find the “safest” way to keep me from screwing up – maybe I stumbled on a better way for novices or recovering amateur former-tweakers.